SLK

Hi, I’m ghosty, new to T-Nation site but I’ll become a regular browser in the near future.

I’ve been training for about 2 and a half years, but the first 16months of that I was wasting my time till I started reading and listening to people who lift heavy. It’s starting to pay off.

I’m 20years old. Last year I weighed 48kg at 5"5. I used to do loads of bicep curls etc etc etc never got anywhere lol. I came across a fellow called “m&m” on nissanslvia.com fitness, diet & bodybuilding forums and changed my life.

I gained 14 kilos in 3months and started doing compound movements. In the next 5 months I found out eating was not my strong point (lol), but I continued with the training and started to grow stronger, and eat.

9 months later (i.e. today) since ‘the revelation’, at 60kg, I squat 120kg, bench 80kg, and deadlift 145kg (all raw, unassisted, and legal lifts). Overhead press 55kg, powerclean 70kg, powersnatch 50kg (my weakness is pressing power as you can see).

My favourite muscle group is my quads. I don’t talk about my 12" arms, it’s very embarressing lmfao.

Anyway here are some photo’s from a few months ago. I still have another 15-20kg to gain. My two goals are to gain weight, and to get strong. As long as I look half decent I’m not fussed. I’ve realised there is no substitute for ‘mass’ no matter how strong you are. Just got to get heavier.

upperbody


Back picture, taken today


back lat spread

Your bf% is excellently low, and you look like you wouldn’t gain fat if you tried. So the only thing holding you back from gaining muscle is eating enough. But I expect you know that already.

Are you happy with your deadlift form?

[quote]fage wrote:
Your bf% is excellently low, and you look like you wouldn’t gain fat if you tried. So the only thing holding you back from gaining muscle is eating enough. But I expect you know that already.

Are you happy with your deadlift form?[/quote]

I feel I’m being robbed a bit of weight on my deadlift due to using too much back. From what I can see, my lift is somewhere in between a regular deadlift and SL deadlift…

I can grasp the mechanics of the movement, in that the hips should start parallel to the floor with the back staying as upright as possible from the starting 45 degree angle, and then when the full ROM from the leg drive has ended then the back takes over to complete the lift.

I however seem to start to high with the hips and use the back to soon. At the moment I’m on a westside barbell template for bench and squat, but when I’ve done enough of that I’ll really concentrate on getting my deadlift up.

I am really keen to reach the 200lb bench, 300lb squat, 400lb deadlift mark at around 60kg bodyweight - I’m a realist and honestly don’t see myself gaining another 5-10kg anytime soon the way my lifestyle is at the moment. (I’m lucky if I get 6hrs sleep a night and work 7 days a week doing labour lol)

Here’s a video of my squat form, from an ME squat session I did last Saturday using 90% of 1RM for 5x3.

Hey ghosty… its 80SNA off the NS forums…

Awesome thread congrats on your liftin…

Your doing everything right, just eat!

Here’s a page from my training journal. In regards to my diet, I just have to eat every 2-3hours with small to medium sized meals that can digest fast. What I’ve found is if I eat big meals it takes 4-5hrs before I get my appetite back (LOL), so yeah I just ‘snack’ constantly throughout the day. My minium calorie intake to grow is 2,650/day (20x bw), my basic template gets me AT LEAST 2,850/day and then if I’m hungry I just eat more.

25/06/07

DE Bench Press
bar x 10
------------- 60% of 1RM
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2

DB Rows
25kg x 8
25kg x 8
30kg x 8
30kg x 8

Close Grip Bench Press
30kg x 12
40kg x 12
50kg x 12
55kg x 10

BB Bent Rows
60kg x 12 - close grip, clean grip
70kg x 8 - close grip, clean grip
70kg x 8 - close grip, clean grip
80kg x 7 - close grip, clean grip
80kg x 5 - close grip, clean grip + 5 reverse grip
60kg x 12 - medium grip, clean grip
60kg x 12 - wide grip, clean grip

Dips
15, 10

I love my rows.

Food Log

11am
wakeup

12pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water

1pm
1 banana

1.30pm
1 banana

2pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water

2.30pm
1 banana

3.30pm
1 scoops protein with 200ml water

3.40pm-5pm :: GYM WORKOUT

5.10pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water

5.15pm
150g pork leg steak

5.30pm
2 table spoons of ice cream

5.40pm
2 pieces of bruschetta with ham & cheese
250ml milk

7pm
200ml water

7.30pm
250ml red cordial

8.30pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml milk with 3 table spoons of ice cream

9.45pm
1 slice of chocolate mud cake
175ml coke

11.45pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water
10g fish oil
1 multivitamin
1/2 dinner plate of spinach, tomato & avocado salad
1/2 dinner plate of chicken pasta

2.20am
200ml water + 1000mg Vitamin C

4am
2 scoops protein with 200ml water
10g fish oil
1/2 dinner plate of spinach, tomato & avocado salad
1/3 dinner plate of chicken pasta
300ml milk

4.30am
sleep

[quote]GHOSTrun wrote:
Here’s a page from my training journal. In regards to my diet, I just have to eat every 2-3hours with small to medium sized meals that can digest fast. What I’ve found is if I eat big meals it takes 4-5hrs before I get my appetite back (LOL), so yeah I just ‘snack’ constantly throughout the day. My minium calorie intake to grow is 2,650/day (20x bw), my basic template gets me AT LEAST 2,850/day and then if I’m hungry I just eat more.

25/06/07

DE Bench Press
bar x 10
------------- 60% of 1RM
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2
50kg x 2

DB Rows
25kg x 8
25kg x 8
30kg x 8
30kg x 8

Close Grip Bench Press
30kg x 12
40kg x 12
50kg x 12
55kg x 10

BB Bent Rows
60kg x 12 - close grip, clean grip
70kg x 8 - close grip, clean grip
70kg x 8 - close grip, clean grip
80kg x 7 - close grip, clean grip
80kg x 5 - close grip, clean grip + 5 reverse grip
60kg x 12 - medium grip, clean grip
60kg x 12 - wide grip, clean grip

Dips
15, 10

I love my rows.

Food Log

11am
wakeup

12pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water

1pm
1 banana

1.30pm
1 banana

2pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water

2.30pm
1 banana

3.30pm
1 scoops protein with 200ml water

3.40pm-5pm :: GYM WORKOUT

5.10pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water

5.15pm
150g pork leg steak

5.30pm
2 table spoons of ice cream

5.40pm
2 pieces of bruschetta with ham & cheese
250ml milk

7pm
200ml water

7.30pm
250ml red cordial

8.30pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml milk with 3 table spoons of ice cream

9.45pm
1 slice of chocolate mud cake
175ml coke

11.45pm
2 scoops protein with 200ml water
10g fish oil
1 multivitamin
1/2 dinner plate of spinach, tomato & avocado salad
1/2 dinner plate of chicken pasta

2.20am
200ml water + 1000mg Vitamin C

4am
2 scoops protein with 200ml water
10g fish oil
1/2 dinner plate of spinach, tomato & avocado salad
1/3 dinner plate of chicken pasta
300ml milk

4.30am
sleep[/quote]

you only get between 6-7 hours sleep a night. you should get 8-9. also most ppl wont eat much after 7 pm but since your awake until the crack of dawn i guess you got no choice. do you work nights or something?

Decent progress so far. My only real question to you is are you afraid of real food? Change out half of your scoops of protien for egg whites, chicken and fish and add in some good carbs like rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal. If you change that around I dont see a problem with you gaining another 5 kg rather eaisly.
See Ya

[quote]Clifford wrote:
you only get between 6-7 hours sleep a night. you should get 8-9. also most ppl wont eat much after 7 pm but since your awake until the crack of dawn i guess you got no choice. do you work nights or something?[/quote]

I’ve made good progress on 6-7 hours and gotten by with 5-6 while at least maintaining my physique. Maybe it’s just a personal thing, but I know some huge people (in a good way) on this forum get much less than 8-9.

You have a weird diet. Still better than most kids your age, but I think it could definitely use some tweaking. Why do you wait so long after waking up to eat? Also, I don’t think you eat enough for breakfast. I would recommend some fruit and oatmeal along with your protein source.

You should look into Dr. Berardi’s Precision Nutrition or at least read some of his articles here on T-Nation. Keep up the good work!

You have a good base and good definition. I am no expert compared to most here, but your deadlift form looks off. It may be the camera angle but your back looks very rounded even at the bottom of the lift. Keep up the good work as you are on your way to an impressive physique, but you may want to work on DL form.

I’m at work from 11.30am-12am Monday-Friday basically. I work in a kitchen. I have a shelf at my station I put food on that I eat throughout the day. I don’t get time to eat as such, in my break I go to gym lol, so protein shakes and bananas are the ‘make do’ meals where I can be eating them with one hand and working with the other hand. When I get home I eat dinner that’s been left in the fridge for me etc.

It’s a hard life to live, been working 50+hrs since I can remember to pay back a bit of money I owe (car…credit card…loans etc), but you just gotta make do the best you can. Obviously if my lifestyle was different there would be more progress but yeah…don’t get hung up on it :wink:

oh btw I’m a Powerlifting > Bodybuilding person (if I get a good physique then so be it :slight_smile: lol)…I train so I can be strong when I’m old(er)…I look at old frail people and get scared lol (don’t wanna end up like that).

Also I want to gain body mass (i.e. kg’s) so I have more ‘presence’ as you know lightweights have to tread lightly where ever they go…it’s no fun.

Thanks for your comments I take everything on board.

I have been trying to help Ghosty for over a year now.You guys have never seen an adult with a smaller appetite and worse eating habits.He cant eat a regular steak,if he does,he wont eat again till you turn the page on the calender.He has weighed 130lbs for a year now.

Vomiting from over eating is a regular occurence.He even has doctors visits to check out the problem.His work ethic is good,in fact,he trains too much.If he was to match his training to his eating he would do one set of kickbacks a fortnight.

This “diet plan” I have him on is to get him used to a regular intake of food.Once he sticks to this for a month,we will replace drinks with food,but currently,if he was too eat rice,he wouldnt eat again for the day,same goes with oats.

Through no fault of his own,he has become a bit of a joke on our forum,he gives good advice,knows what needs to be done,he simply cant do it.Most have passed him now,which is a shame,as I have met very few with his want to be big and strong.

I often post up articles from Berardi and others on our forum,he has all the info he needs,he just cant do it.

I have noticed he has started giving advice to skinny guys on here.I hope history doesnt repeat,he may run out of forums.

I just wish he would read Super Squats and stop posting for 6 weeks,maybe you guys can convince him…please.

I dont post much on here,I basically come for the articles,I was a member here before it was a forum,love T-Nation

Hey GHOSTrun. Welcome to T-Nation:)

Your training looks great. I know people who work a heck of a lot less than 50hrs a week that don’t do anything.

Looking forward to seeing how your training goes. Hope you get that eating thing nailed. It plays such a HUGE part in your training.

Good luck to you.

Susan

[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
Clifford wrote:
you only get between 6-7 hours sleep a night. you should get 8-9. also most ppl wont eat much after 7 pm but since your awake until the crack of dawn i guess you got no choice. do you work nights or something?

I’ve made good progress on 6-7 hours and gotten by with 5-6 while at least maintaining my physique. Maybe it’s just a personal thing, but I know some huge people (in a good way) on this forum get much less than 8-9. [/quote]

Shit, for several years in school I was getting less than 4. I still made progress.

ProfX I envy you. I tried that and it didn’t work.

As for OP, Good Job man, I envy you too for not having mirrors in front of your squat rack.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
KombatAthlete wrote:
Clifford wrote:
you only get between 6-7 hours sleep a night. you should get 8-9. also most ppl wont eat much after 7 pm but since your awake until the crack of dawn i guess you got no choice. do you work nights or something?

I’ve made good progress on 6-7 hours and gotten by with 5-6 while at least maintaining my physique. Maybe it’s just a personal thing, but I know some huge people (in a good way) on this forum get much less than 8-9.

Shit, for several years in school I was getting less than 4. I still made progress.[/quote]

Im pretty sure I know the answer to my own question, but I’ll pitch it out anyway. What do you attribute your ability to gain on less than optimal sleep? Intensity in the gym and increased food intake? Thanks, Prof.